Nip mechanism and controlling apparatus relating thereto in combers for textile fibers



Aplrnfi 9, 1929. c SCHLEIFER 11,7@8,3Z

NIP MECHANISM AND CONTROLLING APPARATUS RELATING THERETO IN coMBERs FOR TEXTILE FIBERS Filed Jan. 9, 1928 Fatented Apr. t3,

canto sorrnnrrnn, on NOVARA, ITALY.

NI]? MECHANISM AND CONTROLLING APPARATUS RELATING THEE/ETC TN COMBERS I FOR TEXTILE FIBERS Application filed. January 9, 1928, Serial No. 245,455, and in Germany January 27, 1927.

Combers of the Schleifer type for textile fibers, as disclosedin specifications of U. S. Pat. Nos. 1,408,780 and 1,425,059, comprise two or more drums which have an intermittent rotating movement and are provided on their peripheries with a plurality of nippers capable of being closed or opened at the desired moment for seizing and retaining, or else for releasing when required, the tufts of fibers to be combed, which, upon being transferred to the nippers of tee successive drums, are combed at the front end and at the back end by rotary combing cylinders and are then given up by the nippers of the last drum to a discharging device.

Now the present invention relates to a nip mechanism, and to the device for controlling the said mechanism, in combing machines of the abovementioned type, and is character ized by the fact that each nipper comprises a semi-fixed oscillating aw, which, when the nipper is open, is forced against a fixed stop -by resilient means, and a movable oscillating jaw, which is designed to close against the semi-fixed jaw until it removes it from its stop, so that said resilient means produce a gripping pressure between the two jaws.

This mechanism is further characterized by the fact that the said movable jaw is controlled by eam elements connected therewith, which serve to carry it both in an open position and in a closed position and to lock it in this latter position. In this mechanism the cam elements controlling two diametrically opposite nippers on the drum, are positively connected in their movements in such a manner that to the open position of one nipper there corresponds the closed position of the opposite nipper. I

One constructional form of the invention is illustrated merely by way ofexainple in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 shows a diagram of a combing machine embodying the present invention,

Fig. 2 shows a nipper and its controlling elements,

Figs. 3 and 4 show two nippers in conjunetion with one another in two difierent operative positions,

Figs. 5 and 6 are a plan and a front elevation respectively of a drum with two opposite nippers and the controlling elements relating thereto.

Combing machines of the Sohleifer type comprise, is known, at least two drums 1 and 1, as shown in Fig. 1, revolving with an intermittent movement, jointly with their shafts 2 and 2, and provided on their peripheries with a plurality of nippers 3, 4 and 3, At a is effected the charging of the tuft into an open nipper 3, 4 on the cylinder- 1, and this tuft, after the closing of the said nipper and the partial rotation of the drum, is combed at the head end at least by one combing roller 5. Next the tuft, when it has arrived at b, is transferred to an open nipper 3 4" on the cylinder 1 and after the closing of this nipper and the partial rotation of the drum 1 the tuft is combed at the tail end by another combing roller 5. Finally, the tuft is delivered at -c to a discharging device. A brush 6 removes from the combing rollers the short fibers, which are given up to a stripping roller-or doffer 7, from which the fleece of noil is removed by an oscillating comb 8. I

According to the present invention each nipper comprises two jaws consisting of the rectangular plates 3 and 4 arranged longitudinally between the heads 9, 9 of the drum, keyed on to the corresponding shaft 2. The jaw 3, which is the semi-fixed one, is mounted on sleeved angle levers 3 and is capable of oscillating about a shaft 10 arranged transversely between the heads 9 and tends to be forced constantly against stops 9 which are integral or virtually integral with the heads, by stiff helical springs 11, bearing against the said jaw at one end and at the other end against the bottom of slots in the hubs of the said heads 9. The jaw 4, which is the movable one, is mounted on sleeved angles 4, oscillatable upon the same shaft 10. Each movable jaw is positively controlled by cams 12 keyed on to a shaft 13, which is rotatably mounted between the heads 9 and projects out of one of them. These cams 12 are intended for the purpose of acting with their opposite nippers, are coupled to one another in their movement in such a manner as to revolve in opposite directions, by means of cranks 16 keyed on to them, and a draw-bar 16 pivoted to the two cranks. Each cam shaft 13, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, 1S provided on its part projecting from the front head 9 of the cylinder with a driving crank l7 keyed thereto, preferably provided with a terminal roller 17, upon whichthere acts, during the stoppage of the nip cylinder, a cam 18, with which a revolving shaft 19 is provided. The function of this cam 18 con sists in carrying the crank 17, witn which it comes into engagement, from the position marked in full lines in Fig. 6, corres ending to the position of the nippers shown in Fig. 3, to the position marked in dotted lines, which corresponds to the position of the nippers' shown in hi i. The mechanism operates in the following manner VVhen the cam shaft 13, which directly controls the left hand nipper in Figs. 3 and 1, rotates from the position shown in 3 to the position shown in Fig. 4, under the action for example of the cam 18 acting upon its crank 17, as shown in Fig. 6, the flanks 12 of the cams 12, by acting upon the rollers 4', which are virtually integral with the angle sleeves l of the jaw 4, force the latter right against the jaw 33. The jaw 3, overcoming the re-action of the springs 11, oscilaltes slightly backwards and separates from the fixed stop 9, so that the material seized by the nipper remains firmly gripped between the two jaws 3 and. 4 under the action of the springs 11. Towards the end of the rotary movement of the cam 12, the concentric shoulder 12" of the latter passes underneath the roller 4-", so that the effect of the thrust of this roller upon the cam, is directed exactly in a radial direction and has absolutely no tendency to make the cam itself recoil. The nipper in question consequently remains locked in its closed position, which is the position shown in Fig. 4-. During the closing operation of the left hand nipper, the right hand nipper, which was closed at the coinmencement, as shown in Fig. 3, is now on the contrary open, as shown in Fig. 41;, precisely as required for the functioning of the comb ing machine. In point of fact, thanks to the coupling elements 16 and 16 between the cam shafts 13 of two opposite nippers, the rotation to which the shaft 13 of the left hand nipper has been subjected involves the shaft 13 of the right hand mpper in such a mannor as to make it rotate in the opposite direction. The shoulder 12 of the cams of the right hand shaft 13, wh ich locked the; nipper associated therewith in a closed position, escapes underneath the rollers a", The right hand nipper is thus released and is then returned to the completely open positlon shown in Fig. tunder the action of the connecting links 1 1, which connect the pivot of each roller 4L with the necessary clearance to the associated cam 12.

, Thanks to the abovementioned arrangement for controlling the nipper, the movable jaw is positively controlled in both directions, andantagonistic springs are not required for returning it to anopen position. The locked condition of the movable jaw in the closed p0;

sition, ensured by the concentric shoulderlEZ of the cams, is absolute, and 1s not hable to be influenced as a result of wear or of irregularity in the various elements. These elements are furthermore reduced to a minimum- 1. Nipper mechanism for combing ma-' chines, having two pairs of oppositely positioned tuft-seizing jaws;each pair compris ing a semi-fixed jaw, a fixed stop for the jaw, resilient means to urge the jaw against the stop, an oscillating jaw for closing against the semi-fixed jaw and separating it from its stop, the gripping pressure between the jaws being determined by said resilient means, cam

elements for operating'theoscillating jaw,

means connecting the oscillating jaw to the.

cam to positively open the latter jaw, means to positively connect the cams of the two jaw pairs and arranged to simultaneously and oppositely actuate the jaw pairs.

2. Nipper mechanism for combing machines; comprising an intermittently rotating drum, two oppositely positioned tuft seizing nipping mechanisms mounted in said drum,

each mechanism comprising a shaft mounted in the drum, a semi-fixed jaw and an oscillat-- able aw both loosely mounted on said shaft, a

stop on the drum for the semi-fiXed jaw, means i to yieldingly hold the jaw against its stop, an

aui-ziliary shaft having a cam fixed thereonfor actuating the oscillatable jaw, a Crank on an end of the auxiliary shaft-outside the drum, means to connect the oscillatable aw and cam for positively opening said jaw, said cam closing the jaw by its flank and holding it closed by its shoulder, means positively connecting mechanism and open that of the other mechathe tails of the cams of the two mechanisms nism, the gripping pressure between the jaws and arranged to simultaneously and oppositebeing determined by said yielding means. 1 1y actuate the osoillatable jaws of the two In testimony that I claim the foregoing as mechanisms, and a cam movable into the path my invention, I have signed my name.

of a crank during a dwell in the rotation of the drum to close the oscillatable jaw of one CARLO SCHLEIFER. 

